Justin Baldoni Seeks to Dismiss Blake Lively Harassment Case Ahead of 2026 Trial

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According to court filings obtained by Variety, Justin Baldoni‘s lawyers are requesting that a federal court throw out Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit before the scheduled March trial.

In a court filing submitted on Wednesday, Baldoni’s lawyers stated that Lively’s complaints are largely insignificant and don’t qualify as harassment under the law.

The argument claims her described experiences weren’t serious enough to be considered a problem at work that would support a claim of retaliation.

Lively sued her co-star and director from the movie It Ends With Us, along with several producers and publicists involved with the film. She alleges she experienced negative consequences after speaking up about inappropriate behavior during filming, including a coordinated online effort on Instagram where people falsely labeled her as a bully and unkind person.

According to his lawyers, Baldoni and his team were simply trying to protect his reputation. The legal filing states that he hired a crisis PR firm – a common step for someone in his situation – to help both his career and the promotion of his new film. He used media professionals to ensure fair and accurate coverage, which his lawyers argue is perfectly legal.

Lively’s team discovered text messages from Baldoni’s publicists revealing they tracked online reactions and tried to increase the visibility of positive comments about Baldoni while downplaying negative ones.

Baldoni and his supporters previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but the case was thrown out. Courts generally don’t allow someone to sue simply because another person has filed a lawsuit against them.

I’ve been digging through the recent court filings, and it’s clear the judge is basing their decision on evidence uncovered during the investigation. The problem is, a lot of it is blacked out – kept confidential, presumably to protect sensitive information. It makes it tough to get a complete picture, but what is visible seems to be playing a key role.

In a separate legal matter, Jed Wallace, a social media specialist, sued Lively in Texas, alleging she harmed his reputation by falsely connecting him to a supposed smear campaign against Baldoni. However, the Texas court dismissed the case, stating it didn’t have the authority to rule over someone who lives in New York. Likewise, Lively’s lawsuit against Wallace was dismissed in New York because the court there couldn’t exert authority over Wallace, a resident of Texas.

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2025-11-14 00:14